Why is the actress described as a “woman of color”?

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DRAFTING. Anya Taylor-Joy, the 24-year-old actress who just took a Golden Globe for her portrayal of chess player Beth Harmon on the hit Netflix series “Lady’s Gambit.”

In the wake of this victory, numerous articles were written about Taylor-Joy, but there was one in particular that caused controversy.

It was published on February 28 in the American magazine Variety and in it the young actress was described as a «colored woman» (woman of color, in English).

“Argentina’s Taylor Joy is the first woman of color to win this category since Queen Latifah in 2008 and only the fifth woman of color to win since 1982 ″ the article read.

This description of the protagonist of “Lady’s Gambit” caused a great stir in the social media, to the point that Variety modified the article and clarified that Anya Taylor-Joy “identifies herself as a white Latina.”

Also read: «Lady’s Gambit», the most watched series on Netflix triggers interest in chess

Actress

Anya Taylor-Joy was born in Miami, U.SBut when she was very little she moved with her parents to Argentina, where she lived until she was 6 years old.

The young woman is the daughter of an Argentine father with Scottish roots and a Zambian-born mother whose ancestors are English and Spanish.

«I come from many places, but my quality and my attitude towards life is from Argentina. I really appreciate that part of my story. I am very proud to come from Argentina, “said Taylor-Joy in perfect Spanish with an Argentine accent in an interview last October.

The actress She is proud of her varied roots and of her Argentine origin, which can confuse many Americans, who do not consider that someone of Latino origin can be considered white, some media reported.

Belonging to minorities

The concept of “person of color” is particular to EE.UU., and it is likely that in other parts of the world it does not have the same connotations.

Whites began to use it in the 18th and 19th centuries to refer to people of black or mixed race and it was not until the late 20th century that African Americans themselves and members of other minorities made it their own, using it to assert themselves as a group. .

“The category itself is a way of identifying a community of individuals. Perhaps it is seen as something artificial, but what makes ‘a person of color’ in the US is that they belong to a racial or ethnic minority, “explains Efrén Pérez, professor at the University from California to Los Angeles (UCLA).

Source ethnic

The category of “person of color” is not only related to the physical characteristics of a person, but also to their ethnic origin and the way one sees oneself.

Regarding ethnic origin, it is common that in the United States to anyone who comes from Latin America or Spain You are classified as a “person of color” because you speak Spanish, regardless of whether your ancestors are of European origin.

That is what probably happened in the case of Anya Taylor-Joy, whom Variety considered “colored” because of her Argentine roots.

Modern origin

The African American community began to use the terms “person of color” and “people of color” more frequently in the late 1970s and early 1980s. But, before, there was already talk about the idea it represented.

This was reflected Martin Luther King Jr. in his famous speech “I have a dream” (“I have a dream) in Washington in 1963 when referring to “citizens of color.”

This category, given the demographic growth of other communities, was expanded to include more groups emphasizing the similarities and leaving aside the differences.

In any case, the use of the concept of “person of color” or “people of color” is not exempt from controversy.

Source: BBC NEWS

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